The Irish standard., 1887-02-19

| stopped short, as It by sympathy OF
intelligence. . The horses, startled by
the suudenness of the transition, chafed,
demi-yolted, and finally remained stock
still under their riders, snorting and
champing the bit in the impatience of
strong terror. A moment after, as if the
windows OF heaven had been opened for
second deluge, a torrent Of thunder
drops was poured upon the travellers, so
dense. so sudden, and SO uphlnchingly
continued. that each particular indi-
vidual III his own square foot of space
received as much az would have served
him for BATH
The terrors OF the storm now COM
meuced in all their magnitude and
grandeur. The thunder beloved,
howled, and clattered; the lightning
hared, and darted iu wheeling circles
and angles OF painful brilliancy, before
and about them. Sometimes strong
bolt, launched from the black womb of
the vapor i'll which it was generated,
Kissed fsrcely through the sparkling
rain, aud breaking with rapid violence
into thousand lines Of blue and daz~
zling splenaor, lit up tue yaulted vast
Of darkness into u momentary noon,
which was as suddenly changed to q
| gloom AS dense as that which was made
| palpable in the hands of the Egyptian
sopilers. Then there was the silence Of
a second, deep and terrible, a hush Of
| all nature, unbroken even by the hreath-
ing Of the pale aud anxious wander
ers, and Immediately after, a. rattling
close above their heads, at hcst quick,
harsh, and jarring, like the clatter Of a
mustzet volley, aud gradually deepening
aud swelling as il receded, I'LL it's echoes
i,oomes! III the abyss oi distance like the
rc;G Of a million park oi artillery.
'WAish' hoo!' the grazier exclaimed,
placing !is hand above lis ei1r, and en-
deavoring to check. the p|uuging Of
his steed; ':did any body hear /, 'holoo'
behind us? LA, there it is agaiuI''
IS 'lis the wind that's splitting Itself
upon the Corrig- -on~Dhiol, ~ said one of
his re ainers.
Another thunderclap drowned the re-
sponse to this conjecture, and in the ill.,
tervals OF it's expiring peals, the distant
aild long -pcotracted cry of a mans voice
proved it to be an erroneous one.
81 have my aeasons, said the Pala-
tlne with IL gesture OF alarm, laying Ills
hand On the graziers arm, for not de-
laying au instant. Lei us dash forward,
in the name Of Heaven!''
Again the i1nploring Cry, renewed at a
much more audible distance, seemed to
appeal against th?s selfish counsel to the
good feelings OF the party. 1t was not
altogether the influence of mere good
feeling, however, which induced the OBJ
stinate gentleman OF the sword and
bnckles TO enter his rec,isa5 against the
old Palatine's proposition. The slight
lng taciturnity with which the LATTER had
treated him during the journey had pre-
disposed him to adopt the contrary
course, whatever it might be, to any
which should be recommended by the
old man. lie plucked his arm pettishly
away from the grasp Of the latter, ADD
instantly reined up his steed Either
unwilling to persevere i'll what appeared
an unkiudly procedure, or acting under
the guidance Of that piercing sagacity
which enables some men TO- discover i'll
a glance, Il tone, q gesture--nay, In the
very manner OF an affectation itself, o
tolerable indication OF the whole ma
chinery OF the characters of those with
whom they come in contact-acting,
say, under this Influence, and perce1ving
5he absolute hopelessness Of any attempt
TO oversway the dogged resolution Of the
blockhead with whom he travelled, the
old Pulatine made no further effort to
carry his own wishes into effect, but
suffered their pursuers to approach.
They're at the top O. the hill already!
I hear the tramping O. the horses feet
Whist! Dash along! Naught was never
in danger. Take care how you fall.
Never welcome the thunder; will it
never have done believing. and let us
hear the people?"
@Hulloo-ee--hoo-h
s'Hoo-hoo-ee! here, lad Halt! no!
Will you never stop-ha! the fair sex
Fong foil Where are you?"
The query was cut short by the sud-
den onset Of large, stout-limbed horse,
which dashed furiously through the
group, covering the dandy grazier and
his prisoner with q profusion of the
puddle, struck by the concussion of the
animals broad hoofs from the weltering
ruts uf the old and broken road. As
they swept thus fercely through the
group, the horse chafng. snorting, and
furiously contending against the restraint
Of the tightened rein. the rider bv voice